At a ceremony in Hanoi recognizing sustainable development efforts in ethnic minority communities, the cooperative also received a gift from Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Founded and represented by Mai Thi My Lam, the cooperative operates across multiple sectors, including vegetable and herb cultivation, agricultural processing, herbal tea and extract production, cosmetics and soap manufacturing, community-based tourism, short-term accommodation, restaurants, and mobile food services.
The cooperative currently employs 45 regular workers, 29 women and 36 individuals from the Bahnar and H’re ethnic minorities, many from poor or near-poor households.
Supported by the Vietnam Women’s Union and various government departments since its inception, the cooperative has received training in management, accounting, marketing, business development, and trade promotion, along with assistance in connecting to state support programs.
Building on this foundation, the cooperative has developed a sustainable value chain for cultivating, processing, and distributing medicinal herbs, linking production with job creation and poverty reduction for highland women.
Over the past three years, it has researched and propagated numerous medicinal plants, including angelica, codonopsis, seven-leaf ginseng, Ampelopsis cantoniensis, honeysuckle, perilla, cinnamon, red artichoke, pineapple, màng tang, bìm ba răng, and introduced species such as chamomile and ivy.
In 2023, the cooperative collaborated with the former Binh Dinh Department of Science and Technology on a scientific project applying GACP-WHO standards to angelica cultivation. It later expanded this work to two linked projects under the National Target Program for Sustainable Poverty Reduction, covering 2.7 hectares and involving 31 ethnic minority households. Seven households have since escaped poverty, while the rest have recorded higher incomes, marking the province’s first medicinal-herb value chain aimed at poverty reduction.
The cooperative has invested in a food-safety-certified preliminary processing facility and developed seven products that achieved 3-star OCOP ratings. Its herbal extract set was recognized in 2024 as an outstanding rural industrial product at the provincial level. Products are now supplied to traditional medicine hospitals, Oriental medicine clinics, pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies, and consumers in and outside the province.
Since 2023, the cooperative has joined more than 30 trade promotion events and became the first entity in the province to operate the “two-way trade” model, which distributes ethnic minority products while supplying essential goods to the mountainous An Lao region. To date, it has connected over 30 suppliers, hundreds of OCOP goods and local specialties, and expanded distribution to more than 100 partners, pharmacies, agents, and online platforms such as Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop.
The cooperative guarantees the purchase of agricultural products, including angelica, Ampelopsis cantoniensis, pineapple, herbal vegetables, and wild honey, from members and partner households, helping stabilize local production.
It has also developed community-based tourism and herbal experience services that attract hundreds of visitors each month. Activities include tours of herb-growing areas, herbal foot baths, local cuisine, gong culture experiences, and visits to streams and waterfalls. Its digital media channels now engage more than 20,000 followers, promoting the image of An Toan highlands.
Beyond economic development, the cooperative has made notable social contributions. From 2023 to 2025, it partnered with agencies and organizations to deliver social welfare initiatives such as donating 106 study lamps, 100 backpacks, 160 SIM cards, and 6 smartphones; awarding scholarships and essential goods; organizing Mid-Autumn Festival events; and building libraries and playgrounds. The total support value reaches hundreds of millions of dong (equivalent to several thousand USD).
The cooperative has earned several honors, including First Prize in the 2024 Women’s Innovative Startup and Green Transformation Competition, a regional consolation prize for the Central region, recognition among the Top National Startup Projects at Techfest, and multiple certificates of merit at provincial, sectoral, and central levels.
Receiving the Vietnam Women’s Union certificate of merit in 2025 highlights its strong performance in advancing women-led cooperative development and job creation. At the ceremony in Hanoi, Mai Thi My Lam said the recognition reflects the collective efforts of local women and ethnic minority communities, adding that the Prime Minister’s gift encourages the cooperative to pursue green, sustainable, and human-centered development.